Thank you very much for the question.
A number of factors have converged over the last few years that I'd like to speak to.
There has been a continual growth in demand for trademarks. Last year, we received over 82,000 applications at CIPO. This represents a 71% increase in demand over the last decade. This is a global phenomenon.
As well, in 2019, we acceded to an international treaty, through which we now receive 29% of all our applications. In fact, Canada ranks fifth in the world for demand through these treaties.